Electric switch.



A.'E. READ.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

APPLICATloN ULEB $591.12. 191?.

1 ,279,437. l ,mmnedsepn 17,1918.

` Arronwfr www .y w 1 sTATEs PATENT maritim n or wie I.' unicornio swrwnly 1,279,437. l www mennen `:Patented sept. u, 191s. Application lcd lcptenib'crfl, 19.17.. Serial lo. mp1. To all Iwhom it may concern.' ing omitted; and .t part of the/base core Be it .known thatI, ARTHUR E. READ, a.

citizen of the United States, and a resident [of the .borongN of Manhattan, city, county, ew' York, have invented c ertain new and useful Improvements in Electric Switches, 'ofwhich the following is a specication.

My'im roveinents relate to the type of oneusliutton electrical switch set forth `articularl; in my concurrent application 0.181,95 l, filed July 21, 1917, in` which electrical contact is made and broken inand State of stantaneously ,with a snap which eliminates sparking and injuryto the terminals, the burning out of which is thus obviated as therein 'set forth. The main object ofmy present invention is to visualize the position Iof the. switch-Ji. e., to indicate externally Vwhether the electric circuit isV open or closed; and the invention indudescertain incidental features in the construction and l 'arran ement of parts hereinafter described and c aimed specifcally,-a distinctive feature being the provision of shoulders on the rotatable blade or circiiit closer which are A engageable alternately with a shoulder on 4 the actuati'n color of the -shank left visi `is closed the proti-usion ofthe shank of the pawl to hold the push button indepresse osition when the'circuit 'is open, thereby indicating the fact by the ortion of the, push button le, whereas when the circuit y pushbutton to the fullest extent revealsl a 1' willindicatewhether t closed.'V =Thus in the .4,0

merely observing the of the shank o'f the pus button.

pdrtion of diil'erent color from the extremeouter portion thereof, so that a glance a t said shank e' circuit is -opcn or l of a light circuit wherdthe lamps are iiivisible `from the switch -the' manipulatoiE thereof can readily ascertain whether the lights are on oioif by anying drawings are `drawn on a much ar erscaletlian. is., necessary for commer'V cia piirposes,-the'device itself occupying a iproximately only oneV fourth the space s own.-4 'i Figure l, is a central vertical sectional elevation showing the switch installed upon` a suitable fixed support;

Fig. 2, is a perspective view with the cas- .a central compartment said push buttonlwhich is of a rotuberan't portion broken away;

' Fig. 3, is a section of the casing with the otherwise inclosed parts in elevation, and in the relative positions in which the circuit is closed;

Fig.

. l co 4, is a view'like unto Fig. 3, showing the operative parts in open circuit position;

. Fig. 5, is a transverse section takennpon end view showing the terminal connections;

Fig. 9, is a diagrammaticview illustrating the operation or the rotatable circuit closer; Fig. 10, is a sectional detail showing the engagement of the springpawl with the cirl cuitclosure blade.

The base 'core B, is preferably cylindrical in general configuration being formed with in which the'terminals 4C, C', and rotatable circuit closer D, are situated, and with. an annular shoulder b, against .'whiclithe inner ed e a, of Athe shell S, abuts. This-shoulder is of the same width as the thickness of the shell S, so that-the joint between the latter and the base core 'B, is-flush externally; The base com B,is made of any desired non-conductive material, and is of such simple forni Vthat it may be conveniently molded or cast in uantities at relatively small cost,ts con guration adapting it' little or no finishing vTo lthe ioor of the compartment b, off-thc j buse core B, are secured the circuit terminalg 0,0', by'means of screws o, c, which pass through 1, and .engag with which the circuit wire binding screws c', cf, are' connected,- as shownparticularly in Figs. 1, and 8. v l

As will be seen byrefeience'to 2, 8 and 4, the duplex circuiti termina C, is formed of a sin le piece of sheet metal bent over Vupon itsef to 'constitute the 'medial base c', 'for the opposed twnfspring jaws c, which are bent ,toward each other t extremities being flared outward. slghtl to facilitate the intrusion between tbenio the the base core as shownrin Fig.` e withbridgc nut platcs;c', o

lll

sure indication that the bridge plate is in contact with the terminal C, and that the electric circuit is closed.

t I thus with a single push button attain all'the advantages of a two button switch in so far as.reading" of set or circuit is concerned, with the added advantages of simplicity and compactness of structure. Furthermore the helical spring h, substituted in lieu of the flat spring pawl shown `in myconcurrent application hereinbefore referred to is simpler and better adapted'to the requirements of my self-locking means for holding the push button depressed as above described to indicate the open of the circuit. r

In this connection it is obvious that instead of providing zones on the stem of the push button like p2, andlpa, of contrasting color, a like result may be attained by the use of other distinctive and contrasting meansv on 'different vportions yof the stem p', of the push button P, and hence by the term contrasted zones as used herein I mean to designate and include any difference in color, configuration or marking on the stem of the push button that will afford an equivalent result in indicating the set or position of the bridge blade d, and thereby alfording visual information as to whether' the elecu tric circuit is open or closed.

What I claim as my lnvention and desire Vto secure by Letters Patent is,

1. Inan electric switch o the character designated, the combination of a .rotatable circuit closer formed with diametrically op- '.posed lateral shoulders and a ratchet huh,

and a spring paw] arranged to engage said ratchet hub to actuate the circuit closer and formed with a hook shoulder for contactual engagement with 'said lateral shoulders on the circuit closer, for the purpose set forth. `In an electric switch 'of the character designated, the combination of a base 'core fof non-conducting material formed lwitha ltransverse central compartment, circuit terminals positionedlhercin, a rota-table circuit Vcloser pivotally supported between the side walls of saidncompartment and between the terminals and formed with aratchet hub and lateral shoulders beyond and oneach 4 side of said' ratchet hub, a spring pawl arranged to engage. with said ratchet hub to actuate said circuit closer, said's ring pawl being formed with a hook shoul r for con- 3. In an electric switch of the character i designated, the combination of a base-core of non-conducting material -fornied with dia- 4metricall y opposed longitudinal side grooves,

and with a transverse central compartment, circuit terminals positioned in the latter, a rotatable circuit closer pivot-ally supported between the walls of said compartment and between said terminals and formed with a ratchet hub and lateral shoulders beyond and on each side of said ratchet hub,apush button provided vwith a stem having contrasted zones and with guide arms which extend into said longitudinal` side grooves of the basecore and with a spring pawl for engaging with the ratchet hub on the circuit closer to actuate the latter, said pa-Wl being formed with a hook shoulder for contactual engagement with `the 'said lateral .shoulders on the circuit closer 'when the rotatable circuit closer pivotally supported J between the walls of said compartment and between said terminals andv formed with'a ratchet-hub, a push button provided with guide arms extending into said lon 'tudinal side grooves on the base-core an with a spring pawl for engagement with the'ratchet hub on the circuit closer to actuate the latter, and a helical sprin interposed between lsaid push button and t e` inner end of thebasecore, for the purpose described.

5. In an electric switch of the character designated, the .combination ofa base-core of non-conducting material formed witha transverse centralcmpartment, circuit terminals positioned therein, a rotatable circuit closer pivotally supported between the side walls of said compartment and between the terminals and `formed with a ratchet hub and lateral shoulders beyond and on each side of said ratchet hub, al spring pawl arranged to engage with said ratchet hub 'to-r actuate said circuitcloser, said spring pawl 4bcingformed with a hook shoulder for con- -tactual engagement with said lateral shoulders on die circuit closer-when the latter is in open position, and a push button for acist tuatin r I'said spring pawl, for the purpose v ARTHUR E. READ.

Witnesses: Doao'rnr Mra'i'r,

Gao. WM. Murr. 

